What Might Have Been for the New Jersey Devils

To quote the Little Texas song “What Might Have Been,” it is time to apply that to the New Jersey Devils.

With the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings the way they were, the Devils had a chance to position themselves to be in the mix. However, there were too many reactionary moves instead of proactive moves. Just imagine if New Jersey decided to upgrade their goaltending before they did. Injuries are part of hockey, but what if the Devils used the $9.5 million in LTIR space to replace Dougie Hamilton?

There are many “What Ifs” about the Devils this season, especially around star players like Jack Hughes. However, under interim head coach Travis Green, New Jersey is showing that it can be competitive. Who was the one team everyone talked about that could make a run if it got its act together? It was the New Jersey Devils.

Just look at the difference Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen have made between the pipes. The Devils have a chance to win every night. The compete level is higher under Travis Green. With how coaches were fired this season, you have to question the timing of the Lindy Ruff firing.

Look, it is never easy to replace the head coach, and he did not have the proper tools in the toolbox, but look at the New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles, and Minnesota Wild and when they made their coaching changes. This allowed the interim coach or new coach to get a system in place to have a chance to compete for the playoffs. Outside the Blues and Wild, the Islanders, the Oilers and Kings made the playoffs.

Again, it comes down to making proactionary moves instead of reactionary moves. An earlier coaching change might have given the New Jersey Devils a chance. However, blowing 18 points to non-playoff does not help, but they were still in the mix.

And even with the Devils showing what they could be as a team, New Jersey had yet to have a winning streak longer than two games in the second half of the season. Their longest winning streak was three games, which came in December 2023.

The Devils biggest issue was consistency. Yes, the compete level was better, and yes the goalies were keeping them in games, but the Devils could not streak consecutive games of consistent hockey. There were still too many lapses where the Devils give up one, two, or three goals in a short period of time.

New Jersey Devils: The New Jersey Devils Are Consistently Inconsistent

Since the coaching change, the Devils have shown they could be that team, but consistency throughout the season has been a problem. When the defense breaks down in front of the net, the players on the ice ask the goalie to make more than one extra save. That’s okay, every now and then. But most of the time, those pucks end up in the back of the net. The Devils have issues clearing the puck, but that is another topic for another time.

The door was open for the New Jersey Devils to make a run. Some said they could do it. But it was unrealistic. Every time the Devils were in striking distance, they laid an egg. Games like Ottawa and Buffalo down the stretch were winnable games. But the Devils laid an egg on home ice against the Senators. Blowing a 2-0 lead against the Sabres is unacceptable.

The Devils players could not understand the situation’s magnitude and the season’s expectations. It should not fall on just the players or the coach. Again, it comes down to President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald for making the moves sooner than he did.

The NHL knew what the Devils needed this offseason. The Devils did not get the goalie they needed and hoped the goaltending they had last year would be there again even though the Carolina Hurricanes exposed their goaltending in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And that change of direction on the blueline falls on the GM.

Again, nobody saw John Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler having horrible seasons; however, not replacing Dougie Hamilton or adding a veteran in the summer to help stabilize the defence is an issue. Here they sit looking on as other teams will have a crack at winning the Stanley Cup.

There was no so much potential for this. Again it comes down to what might have been for the New Jersey Devils.